'aurate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'aurum', where the root 'aur-' meant 'gold' and the suffix '-ate' (from Latin/French use in chemistry) meant 'composed of or relating to'.

'aurum' gave rise to Late Latin forms such as 'auratus' (meaning 'gilded'), and in modern scientific nomenclature the combination of 'aur-' + the chemical suffix '-ate' produced the English term 'aurate' (used from the 18th–19th century onward for gold salts and related meanings).

Initially related to 'gold' or 'gilded' in a general sense, it evolved in scientific usage to denote specifically 'a salt or ion of gold' while retaining the broader descriptive sense 'golden' in adjectival use.